In the Family Way
by perilousgard
Summary: Short fics focusing on Bolin and Korra's future family. Doesn't abide by current canon, obviously. Borra.
1. Nocturne

_I'm going to preface this by saying that Borra is pretty much the only thing I ship in LoK other than Pemzin, because I'm finding it very difficult to get behind Makorra. So, without getting too much into my reasons for that, I'm going to keep hoping that maybe Bolin and Korra will eventually end up married and with tons of adorable children. Who else thinks they're the most compatible characters romantically on this show? _

_So anyway, here's where I'm going to house my little family drabbles, because I'm sure there will be more coming. _

_Nocturne_

Some days, Korra is the late one home.

Being the Avatar is a job that never stops, and she understands that. She doesn't mind the late nights – except when they're consumed by council meetings that really serve no purpose other than to waste her time. Those nights are often more draining for her than the nights she spends fighting, or tracking down criminals.

She likes being able to work with her husband. This way, they both get to look out for one another. It's hard on Tanza, but fortunately, Jinora is an excellent babysitter. Korra is often the one to send Jinora back to Air Temple Island and get Tanza to bed, but on the days she and Bolin are both late, the airbender never minded staying the night. Sometimes Korra wondered if Tanza would eventually become more attached to Jinora than her own parents, because she was around so often.

But on nights like this, Korra knows that isn't going to happen.

She comes home and it's all dark, and Jinora is nowhere to be found. She feels a momentary panic when she doesn't find Tanza in her room, either, but then she passes by the door to hers and Bolin's room, and sees the dark shapes on the bed. As she steps inside, a light smile crosses her lips.

Bolin is holding Tanza in his arms, and they're both fast asleep. Tanza is curled up against Bolin's chest, her dark brown hair fanning out over the pillow they're sharing, and he has his hand cupped gently around the back of her head, like he's protecting her from something. Korra never worries about her daughter's safety with Jinora, but suddenly she is struck by how small and vulnerable Tanza is. She's already so strong for a three-year-old, but at the same time, she's helpless.

Korra slips into bed without disturbing her sleeping family, not even bothering to get out of her clothes. But even though she doesn't make a sound, Bolin's eyes still find hers in the dark when her head hits the pillow. She smiles in silent apology, and he leans forward to brush his lips against hers. Between them, Tanza shifts her weight a little, her leg bumping Korra's belly.

She knows she should say that Tanza is old enough to be sleeping in her own bed and that they should probably move her, but something stops the words from escaping her. It might be the fact that they can rarely move Tanza without waking her up, or it might be the way Bolin looks when her little hands grip onto the front of his nightshirt. Instead, she just pulls the covers up more snugly around them and allows herself to nestle into the mattress.

As she closes her eyes, she feels Bolin's hand brushing her hair back. "You'll wake her up," she whispers.

"She's fine," he whispers back. His smile fades slightly as he looks at her. "You look exhausted."

She shrugs a little. "All in a day's work."

He makes a humming sound, deep in his throat. "Tanza wouldn't stop asking for you when I got home."

She frowns. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty?"

"Not at all," he says, good-naturedly. "I just wish they'd get it through their thick heads that you have a family now."

"They know I have a family," Korra replies, her eyes falling on her daughter's dark head. "That doesn't mean I have any less responsibility to this city…and the rest of the world." She looks back at him. "I'm not the only one who has a demanding job."

"I know," says Bolin. "But we're managing, aren't we?"

Neither one of them had been prepared for children when Korra had discovered she was pregnant. It had happened at one of the most inopportune times – right before Bolin's first major promotion in the police department and right in the middle of an important case for both of them. Since Korra's abilities as the Avatar were essential in closing the case, she hadn't known what to do. Many of the missions involved a lot of fighting and no small amount of danger, and she had felt hesitant to risk it. Of course, once Bolin had found out, he had insisted she pull herself out of the case (after getting over his mixture of shock and awe). In the end, Korra had…but not without feeling a decent amount of guilt. She had told Chief Beifong that she and Bolin were a long way off from having children.

Despite the timing, and the anxiety that had nagged at her throughout the pregnancy, Tanza seemed to fit naturally into their lives. She disrupted it quite a bit, too, of course. Korra remembers laughing at Bolin for something he said about not knowing babies could poop so much, on a night when Tanza hadn't been able to sleep because of some bowel problems. She'd reminded him that Meelo could have beat Tanza at the pooping game when he was as old as five. The two of them had shared more sleepless nights than they cared to remember with their daughter, and she was a handful during the day as well, but they couldn't bring themselves to regret having her when they did.

"Yeah," she says at length, letting his fingers tangle with hers on the pillow above their heads. "We're doing fine."

Between them, Tanza gives a sleepy snort, and Bolin chuckles. "I think she's agreeing with you."

"She better," Korra grins, tugging up the sheet from where it's slipped down Tanza's legs.

Because whether her daughter knew it or not, everything Korra did now was for her.


	2. Between the Hours

_So, this one came out of the idea of Bolin's daughter wearing his police helmet, which I thought was the most adorable thing ever. I regret nothing._

_Between the Hours_

Their daughter wasn't afraid of anything. She faced everything head on, strong and steady, just like an earthbender – and just like Korra. She was just as stubborn and determined as Korra was, too, so Bolin was hardly surprised when she started moving small rocks around their backyard at the age of two. She was never afraid to hurt herself, although she frequently ended up with little cuts and bruises that Korra or Bolin had to kiss better. Once the pain went away, she went right back to being reckless and brave, like nothing had happened. Bolin, who had been somewhat of a crybaby when he was little, was endlessly proud of her for that.

So he was surprised on the night Tanza came tearing into his and Korra's room and jumped onto the bed, pulling the sheets up over her head and huddling there in a quivering little ball.

Bolin, who had been half asleep, jerked up with a little snort and pushed down a huge yawn. "Tanza?" he asked quietly, lifting the covers up and peeking under them. "What are you doing under there?"

"Hiding where it's safe," she whispered, peering up at him with luminous green eyes. "I don't want him to get me."

"Don't want who to get you?" asked Bolin in concern. Beside him, Korra was shifting, trying to drag herself out of sleep. She had been so worn out that she'd been asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"The scary guy with the big green eyes," said Tanza, making circles with her fingers and putting them over her face like a pair of glasses. Then she wiggled over and buried her face in Bolin's hip, curling her hands into the thin material of his shirt.

Korra sat up, pushing her hair out of her face, and Bolin looked at her in confusion as he rested his big hand on Tanza's back. Korra's brows were knit as she looked back at him, just as lost as he was.

"Did you have a bad dream?" she asked Tanza, and their daughter nodded against Bolin's hip.

"So this was a dream monster?" asked Bolin. Like all children, Tanza had her share of nightmares due to an overactive imagination, but usually all it took was a hug and kiss from one of them to ease her mind and get her back to sleep. She had never come running into their room like this because of a nightmare.

"No!" said Tanza shrilly, and now she was clambering onto Bolin's lap. He lifted her up a little so she wouldn't step all over him, and so that he could get eye-level with her. "He's a real monster!"

"Sweetheart, we've told you before that the things in your dreams aren't real," Korra said gently, reaching over to brush some of Tanza's hair out of her face. "They're just part of your imagination."

"I saws him afore!" she insisted. "On that paper Daddy reads all the time."

_The newspaper, _Bolin thought, and suddenly he knew who Tanza was talking about.

As much as they tried to keep their work lives out of the house, sometimes there was only so much they could shield their young daughter from considering the radio, the newspaper, and the wanted posters that were put up all over town. The newest case down at the police station was a man who had taken to using the old Equalist masks from several years ago, which did indeed have distinct green goggles. So far, they didn't know if the man was an Equalist or not, because he seemed to target benders and non-benders alike. But he was causing a lot of panic within the city because more than one person had been killed. And Bolin had a sneaking suspicion that Tanza had overheard him and Korra talking about it a few nights ago.

And she was _scared._

Somehow, that man had managed to scare his stubborn, proud, unmovable daughter.

In that moment, Bolin swore that he was going to do whatever it took to catch that man and put him behind bars.

Korra seemed to have figured it out around the same time as him. Her eyes softened and she reached out to pull Tanza gently from Bolin's arms, settling her in the little space between them on the bed. Bolin noted, with a little painful twist of his heart, that Tanza's face was screwing up the way it did right before she started crying. Korra stroked her hair back and pulled the covers up to her waist.

"Don't let the green eyes man scare you, Tanza," she said. "He's not going to be in this city much longer."

The little girl between them sniffed, her nose starting to run. "He's not? Where's he going?"

"Away," said Bolin, smiling down at her in reassurance. "Far away."

"Yes," agreed Korra, "because guess what the green eyes man is scared of?"

"What?"

"Your dad!" Korra bent down and tickled her belly until she giggled and squirmed so hard that one of her legs kicked Bolin right in the solar plexus. He gasped, taken aback once again by how strong she was, and then caught her feet in both of his hands, grinning.

"Are they really scared of you, Daddy?" Tanza asked, once Korra had stopped tickling her.

"Well," Bolin started.

"Of course they are!" Korra jumped in. "Because they know what he does."

"What?" asked Tanza, starting to smile.

The Avatar smiled too, and then looked over at Bolin with a sort of fierce pride in her eyes. "He doesn't give up."

Bolin actually blushed a little, something that she hadn't made him do in years. Of course, he knew that Korra was proud of how far he had come in the police academy, but sometimes it was still nice to hear. Reaching out, he slipped his hand into hers, and she looped her fingers through his. Then she turned back to Tanza and continued. "He doesn't give, and that man knows what he's been doing is bad and that your daddy's going to protect the families of the people he's hurt. He's going to do whatever he can to make things right again."

"And Mommy, too," Bolin put in, giving his wife's hand a squeeze. "She's been kicking butt much longer than I have."

Tanza smiled, her fears forgotten. "I wanna kick butt when I grow up too!"

Bolin laughed. "Maybe you will!" He lifted her up into the air, flying her around like an airplane. "Maybe one day you'll be flying through Republic City and protecting it from all the bad guys!"

Tanza squealed with joy. "Can I wear a shiny outfit like you?"

"Of course," said Bolin. Reaching behind him, he pulled his cadet's hat off the bedpost, a dark, floppy thing he hadn't worn in almost a year now. He dropped it onto Tanza's head, where it immediately settled over her eyes. "And we'll call you 'Officer Tanza'!"

She giggled again and pushed the hat back, peeking at him from under the brim. Korra grinned and then yawned, and Bolin suddenly remembered that they both had to be up again early in the morning.

"Okay, back to bed," he said, reaching out to take the hat off her head. But she clamped down on it with both arms and wouldn't let him.

"Can I keep it? And can I stay here?" Tanza asked. "Pleeeeease?"

Bolin looked over at Korra, who shrugged and smiled, already lying back on her pillow. "As long as you keep still and don't kick, I don't see what's wrong with staying here just tonight."

"I won't! I promise!" Tanza wiggled back down in her spot between them, pulling the covers up to her chin and immediately closing her eyes. Bolin chuckled and leaned over to press a kiss against her forehead before he laid back himself, his eyes already getting heavy.

They slept through the night (although Tanza didn't keep her promise about kicking), and when Bolin woke up he would see his daughter lying there next to him with his cadet hat resting on the pillow over her head, and his wife on the other side – a reminder of exactly how far he'd come.


	3. Flutter

_This one takes place during Korra's first pregnancy, so it's not exactly dealing with their family…I guess. I still consider this family fic because Bolin and Korra are married, so they're each other's family. _

_Flutter _

The first time Korra felt their baby move, she was only half-awake, and very nearly rolled off the edge of the bed.

The sensation of _movement _inside her sent such a shock through her system that for a moment she couldn't breathe. Gripping the gentle curve of her belly, she untangled herself from the sheets and got out of bed as quickly as she could without disturbing Bolin. Luckily, he was a pretty deep sleeper; he simply made a sound that somewhere between a grunt and a snore as her weight left the mattress. Korra crossed the room to the door and flung it open, stepping out onto the balcony that looked out over the city streets from their tiny apartment on Yue Bay Square. It didn't matter that she was probably giving some people an eyeful of the Avatar in a state of indecency; at that moment she just needed a gulp of fresh air.

She didn't realize she was trembling until her hand touched the cool railing. Korra took deep breaths through her nose and closed her eyes, forcing her heartbeat to return to normal. Just when some of the tension was beginning to melt from her body, she felt another flutter of movement within her belly, and her breath caught.

Their baby was _in _there, and it was _alive._

Of course, at a little over five months pregnant, the changes in her body had made her more than aware that she really was having a baby. Her belly was visibly round now and was getting more difficult to hide, and even though the morning sickness stage had finally passed, she still got moody and was starting to ache in different places depending on the time of day. She had gotten used to looking at herself in the mirror and seeing the baby bump, and she had gotten used to hating all her favorite foods and loving combinations of foods she normally would never put together, and she had gotten used to Bolin resting his head against her stomach and whispering to it, even though the baby couldn't hear.

But prior to this moment, the baby had felt more like a sack of potatoes to Korra. It was extra weight that caused her to puke and eat like crazy. But now it was actually _moving, _and all of the initial fear she had felt at the beginning of the pregnancy came rushing back like a punch to the gut.

In four more months, she would be holding her own child in her arms.

She swallowed hard and sank to the ground, pressing her forehead to her raised knees. _Just breathe, _she told herself. _Get it together. How long have you known about this now? You're having a baby – deal with it!_

She felt terrible for that thought, because it wasn't that Korra despised her pregnancy. Under different circumstances, and if it wasn't Bolin she was having her child with, she might have struggled more. But Bolin was a family man; he had always wanted children. He had been able to admit to her that he hadn't planned on having them this _soon, _but he was happy nonetheless. And watching him over the past few months had only made Korra positive that he was going to be an amazing father. He doted on her constantly, fixing her whatever bizarre concoction she wanted with a cheerful smile; sometimes when they lay together at night he'd ask her about baby names; he was already starting to look for a bigger apartment for them to move in to for when the baby was born. And every time his eyes fell on her belly, the look on his face made Korra feel warm from head to toe. Bolin had made it much easier for her to adjust to the initial shock of the pregnancy.

He had been so _happy _when she told him. And Korra…Korra had been terrified.

Just like she was now.

She was starting to think that a meditation session might be a good idea when she suddenly heard Bolin's sleep-heavy voice from directly behind her. "Korra? You okay?"

A moment later, strong arms were slipping around her waist from behind, tugging her back against his lean form, and Korra took another deep breath. Her cheek brushed against the stubble on his jaw as she leaned her head back against his shoulder. "I'm fine," she lied. "I just thought we could use a little fresh air, since the air conditioner is still busted."

He nodded, dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder and giving her a little squeeze. "It is a little stuffy in there, I suppose. It explains how the blankets keep ending up on the floor when we wake up in the morning."

She regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "Bo, those sheets end up on the floor no matter what the weather is." They were both restless sleepers, and tended to roll and wiggle all over the bed in their sleep, which was something they were both trying to work on now that Korra was pregnant. Bolin was terrified of accidentally kicking her in the middle of the night, but she had faith in him.

He chuckled and pushed some of her tangled hair behind her ear. "This is true. Well, I'm going to get in the shower…do you want to go first? Or…do you maybe want to join me?"

She laughed at the eyebrow waggle he gave her and shook her head. "No, you can go ahead. I'm going to go see if we have anything to eat."

Bolin nodded, gave her a quick and cheerful kiss, and headed off to the bathroom.

By the time he had finished his shower, and came downstairs smelling like her favorite soap and scrubbing a hand through his still-damp hair, Korra was sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of rice that she had been staring at for a solid ten minutes. When he came into the kitchen, she hastily began to shovel food into her mouth, smiling around the mouthful when he caught her eyes. The smile must have looked a little forced, because he gave her a rather odd look as he went to the counter to fix his own breakfast.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, grabbing a carton of milk.

"I'm fine," she reassured him, but she couldn't say she really believed herself. And at this point in their relationship, Bolin knew her a little too well to be so easily fooled. He raised an eyebrow as he joined her at the table.

"You seem upset about something," he said. His feet bumped hers under the table and Korra rested her toes against his ankles. Sighing, she looked down at her bowl.

"I'm—" She cut herself off abruptly as she felt that flurry of movement once more inside her belly. This time it was a little more pronounced, and she caught her breath, pressing a hand there.

Bolin was instantly concerned. "What's wrong? Is it the baby? Should I call the doctor?"

"No," she said quickly, shaking her head. "Well – yes and no."

He blinked at her, still obviously on high alert.

She sighed heavily. "The baby's moving."

Bolin relaxed. "Oh, that baby's mov—the b-baby's _moving?" _The way his eyes bugged out of his head looked so absurd that Korra had to laugh. "Korra…when - ?"

"Just this morning," she told him, fiddling with her spoon. "I woke up and felt it…"

"Wow," he breathed, his eyes falling on her belly. "Do you mind if—can I feel…?"

Korra nodded, and he leaned across the table to lay both of his big hands over her stomach. She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. "It's not very pronounced…I don't know if you'll be able to feel it."

Bolin frowned in concentration, sliding out of his chair and kneeling down in front of her. He leaned in and pressed his cheek against her bump, the way he often did before they went to sleep at night. Korra ran her fingers through his hair, already feeling calmer, even though he still didn't know what was wrong. He just had that effect on her.

After a long moment, he pulled back. "I can't feel anything."

She nodded. "It's…not moving right now."

He peered up into her face, brushing some of her loose hair behind her ear. "Korra? Talk to me…is this about the baby?"

She nodded slowly. "I don't know how to explain it…I thought I was over this, but when I felt it actually _moving…_Bo, I was terrified. The baby's actually _alive _in there and…" She gestured uselessly with her hands. "I know that sounds stupid. I've had five months to get used to this…but I guess I'm still not entirely adjusted to the idea of being a mother."

Bolin was silent for a long moment. This was a conversation he was familiar with, as they had had the very same one when Korra had first discovered she was pregnant. It had been a shock to them both, because they were being reasonably careful, despite how often they had rather spontaneous sexual encounters. And despite having been married for close to a year, the two of them still hadn't really had a discussion about children when the pregnancy came into the picture. Bolin had mentioned before that he wanted kids, of course, to which Korra had absently nodded and changed the subject. She hadn't really ever seen herself as a mother, and didn't think having kids was a good idea anyway considering her role as the Avatar. The first time she had brought up this point to Bolin, he had been slightly upset.

"But Aang had children," he had pointed out to her. "He had _three _of them. And look at how much he accomplished in his life!"

"Yeah, and Aang was also away from home a lot," Korra shot back. She actually knew a lot about her previous incarnation's life, since his wife had been her waterbending teacher. "He missed a lot of things with his kids." Of course, though Katara had often struggled with Aang's absence, the two of them had been able to make the distances work. And she knew Tenzin had a great deal of love and respect for his late father, so he must not have resented Aang for his absences either.

"We could make it work," Bolin insisted, and Korra had smiled a bit at how much he reminded her of her former master in that moment. "Once I move up a little further at the station, I would be able to –"

"No, Bolin," she cut in. "I wouldn't leave you to raise any kids of ours by yourself."

His face crumbled. "Korra…I thought you would consider the idea eventually."

"With the jobs we have, how are we ever going to find time to raise a family? It's just not a good idea, Bo."

That night, the two of them had fallen asleep on opposite sides of the bed, facing away from one another, and the discussion had kept them both fairly silent toward each other for a few days, even though it hadn't really been an argument.

And a few months later, she had gotten pregnant. Korra had heard that some of the past female Avatars had been able to sense they were pregnant before it was actually confirmed, but it had come as a total surprise to her. Maybe it had to do with her lack of spirituality. In any case, she had hid the truth from Bolin for several days before he finally got tired of her moods and demanded she tell him what was wrong. She had felt terribly guilty for sobbing in his arms when it was clear Bolin wanted to be happy about the situation. He deserved to be happy, and that was why Korra had tried her best to adjust to the idea quickly.

Finally, Bolin spoke again. "Korra…I'm sorry." He cupped her head in his hands and brought her forehead down to rest against his. "I'm…sorry that this had to happen before you were ready." From the look on his face, Korra could tell that he was thinking _you might never be ready. _"What do you want me to do? I'll give you whatever you need."

She let out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding. "Bolin…I'm not saying that I still regret this happening. I don't."

He pulled back so that he could look at her properly, his green eyes slightly glassy. "You don't?"

"I don't," Korra repeated firmly, and was startled to realize that she was speaking the truth. "I don't regret the pregnancy…but that doesn't stop me from being afraid."

He pulled her out of her chair, down on the floor with him, and enveloped her in his arms. Korra could feel him dropping kiss after kiss into her hair. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her ear against his chest where she could hear his heart beating a strong rhythm. "Korra, you don't need to be afraid. We're going to get through this together, okay? I'll be with you for everything, and when the baby's born…feel free to break my hand if you want to."

She laughed shortly, tightening her grip on him. "Okay."

Korra was still terrified, and she suspected that fear wouldn't let up until she was finally holding her baby in her arms, but she couldn't bring herself to be truly upset anymore over the fact that they were starting a family sooner than expected. She hadn't thought she would ever have kids, but she also hadn't thought she would end up with Bolin when she first came to Republic City and couldn't see anyone but his brother. Life had given her plenty of surprises, and the waterbender in her had been able to adapt to them all. And just like the earthbenders that they both were, they could face this adventure head on – as long as they were together.


	4. Twice the Surprise

_This is a headcanon that me and several of my friends on tumblr share. Bolin and Korra must have twins._

The minute the loading ramp descended from their little boat into the snow, Korra's four-year-old daughter went pelting down, hopping through the wet stuff in glee even though it nearly reached her waist. Behind her, Korra moved more slowly, weighed down now by the weight of another child in her belly. She was only four and a half months along, but already she felt much larger and heavier than she had when she was pregnant with Tanza. Bolin, beside her, took her gloved hand in his and helped her down; when she caught his eyes, they were twinkling with excitement and delight. He looked very much like their daughter, who was currently flinging herself into her grandfather's waiting arms. Tonraq lifted her high and spun her.

Korra's mother smiled at her as she stepped down into the snow, the lines around her eyes crinkling. It surprised Korra to find that Senna looked noticeably older than she had the last time they had visited. Her parents were creeping into their upper fifties, but it still surprised her to see the streaks of gray in her father's beard and the new lines in her mother's face. But that didn't stop her from walking into Senna's arms in the same way she had when she was still a child. The only difference was the obvious extra weight between them.

"Korra, you've gotten _big!" _Senna breathed when they broke apart.

"Gee, it's nice to see you too, Mom," the Avatar replied, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry, it's just a little surprising. You told me you were only eighteen weeks along."

"I _am."_

"Well then, how many babies are you hiding in there?" her mother asked with a grin, prodding her belly gently. "Three? Four?"

Korra looked absolutely mortified. "Just one, thank you!"

Senna laughed and then moved in to hug her son-in-law, favoring him with a kiss on the cheek. "She does look really big, don't you think?" she asked him.

Bolin flushed and glanced sideways at his wife, who had turned her warning glare on him. "I think she looks beautiful!" he said quickly.

"Good answer," said Korra sweetly, flashing him a smile. She then moved in to hug her father, but Tanza jumped up swiftly and wedged herself between them, holding her mittened hands over her head.

"Mommy, I'm cold! Why is it so cold here? Look, my nose is froze cause I'm so cold!"

"Your nose is just fine," Korra said, taking her hands and lowering her gently back to the ground. "You've just got a bit of snow on it." She flicked a thumb over her daughter's upturned nose, brushing the flecks of white away. Tanza promptly dove right back into the snow with a giggle.

"You'd think she'd be tired after spending four days on a boat," said Korra with a twist of her mouth, glancing at Bolin.

"Nah," he replied good-naturedly, with a shrug. "She spent a lot of that time sleeping, remember? Now she's all rested up."

"How are _you _two holding up?" asked Tonraq, looking between Bolin and Korra. "I've heard the South Seas have been pretty unforgiving lately. Was the ride rough?"

"It was a little bumpy. Made him a bit seasick," the Avatar replied, pointing a thumb at Bolin, who flushed. "Tanza was having a blast, though."

"I'll get my sea-legs eventually," Bolin said defensively, finally reaching down and plucking up their daughter from the snow and securing her at his hip. "It wasn't as bad this time around."

"No, at least this time I didn't have to sit with you and rub your belly for three hours," Korra teased.

Tonraq laughed and slapped a broad hand on Bolin's back, nearly making the earthbender's legs buckle. "I'll have to take you ice-dodging with me sometime," he said. "That'll get you some sea-legs for sure."

Bolin, though he wasn't sure what exactly ice-dodging was, went pale nonetheless. "O-of course," he stammered, as Tanza pulled on the long curl flopping over his forehead. "I'd love to!"

Korra grinned and slipped an arm around his waist, tugging him against her body gently. "Well, let's get inside, I'm already tired of standing." She glanced around. "Where's Sifu Katara?"

Katara, her former teacher, had been her official midwife the day that Tanza was born, because even though her due date had been very close, Korra had wanted to take a short trip to her home for the Midwinter's Night Festival. Halfway through Katara's waterbending demonstration, she had suddenly gone into labor. Her old sifu had stopped bending immediately and had gotten her safely back to her parents' home to deliver the baby. Katara had also been the one to tell her that she thought Tanza was going to be a girl. Now, Korra was going to rely on her once more to tell her about the new baby growing within her.

Senna's eyes softened. "She's going to meet you back at the house, dear. She didn't feel quite up to hiking all the way out here to meet you."

"Is she sick?" Korra asked in alarm.

"Well, no," Senna replied. "She's just getting old...her limbs aren't what they used to be."

Korra frowned, finding it hard to wrap her head around the image of Katara being so weak. Of course, she _was _very old, but she had still been able to remove with remarkable speed and strength at that waterbending demonstration she had given at the festival.

_Four years ago, _she reminded herself.

She shook her head, pushing down the fear, and gave Bolin's hand a squeeze, belatedly realizing he had slipped it into hers. The group made their way through the snow to the village, and Tanza finally stopped her bouncing on Bolin's shoulders when she saw the way the streets were lit up in the early twilight. Hung lanterns cast everything in different shades of blue, orange, green, and red, fascinating their young daughter. By the time they got to the house, she had become lulled into a state of drowsiness, her head drooping against the top of Bolin's. As they stepped in out of the snow, Korra reached up and got her down gently, making her wake up just long enough to get her out of her coat and boots before letting her go lay down on the soft, fur-lined bed that her grandparents kept for when she visited. After that, Korra collapsed onto the couch herself, groaning as the weight was taken off her swollen ankles. She wanted to go see Katara, but a brief moment of rest was needed first.

Ultimately, though, she didn't get much time to rest. Her mother started asking her question after question about the baby, and following that, updates on Tanza. Though Korra was perfectly fine reclining with her feet in Bolin's lap and answering questions, they talked long enough that Tanza woke up again and wanted to go penguin sledding. Despite his age, Tonraq agreed to take her, and Bolin said he'd go with them (Korra almost wondered if it was to make sure neither one of them hurt themselves). She was torn between taking advantage of the quiet house to nap and going outside to watch her family play in the snow, but in the end, she decided to make the short trek across the village to see Katara with her mother.

The Avatar was beyond relieved when she found her former master not bedridden, but busy making a pot of tea inside her little hut. Inside it was warm and familiar; the smell of it still reminded Korra of when she was young and Katara would let her over for snacks after they finished their training. When the old woman looked up to see who had come in, a broad smile broke through the wrinkles on her face.

"Korra. Good to see you," she said, and Korra walked right into her embrace.

"I've missed you, Sifu," the younger woman murmured into the fur lining of Katara's collar.

By the time the sun had finally sunk below the horizon, leaving the landscape in a darkness that Korra was no longer used to, the three women were splitting cups of tea and Korra was lying back on a soft pallet, her jacket off and her loose-fitting top pulled up over her expanding belly. As Katara rolled up her sleeves, preparing to check on the baby, the Avatar glanced out the window, wondering what could be keeping her husband, child, and father. It definitely wasn't safe to go penguin sledding after dark, and Tonraq knew that better than anyone. On top of that, it looked like a snowstorm was rolling in. But her thoughts were cut off when she felt the tingling sensation of Katara's waterbending over her stomach.

"She's big, isn't she?" asked Senna, who was kneeling at Korra's other side.

"Oh, knock it off, Mom," said Korra sourly, though her words lacked malice.

Katara chuckled. "Your mother's right, actually. You _do _look big for this stage of your pregnancy."

"So what, does that mean I'm not even going to be able to walk by the end of it?" Korra asked worriedly.

"No, but the baby still has a lot of growing to do." The old waterbender moved her hand, focusing her energies a little lower, and suddenly looked very surprised. Her blue eyes met Korra's, and then she smiled in such a way that Korra didn't know whether to be scared or relieved.

"What is it? Is the baby okay?"

"Oh, the baby is fine," she replied, amusement coloring every word. "But I think the more accurate term to use is _babies."_

Korra blinked at her as though every word out of her mouth had been complete nonsense. "What?"

"You're having twins, Korra."

This was the exact moment that Bolin chose to come bursting through the door, ushering in a gust of freezing air and snow flurries, clutching Tanza to his chest. Tonraq came in behind him, quickly shutting the door and looking rather winded.

"I'm sorry we're so late getting back," Bolin breathed, carefully letting Tanza down. "The storm came in so suddenly and Tanza fell through some thin ice…lucky your dad's a waterbender, he got her out quick, but it still scared me half to death…"

Korra sat up, pulling her shirt back down and pulling her daughter into her arms as the girl came over to her, her complete shock forgotten as her motherly instincts took precedence. "Are you okay?" she asked, smoothing Tanza's wet hair back. "You don't hurt anywhere?"

"I'm f-f-fine, Mommy," Tanza said, her teeth chattering too hard for her to speak properly. Her lips were blue and she looked very pale, though not utterly terrified. Shaken, but all right. Korra immediately gathered her close, using the slightest bit of firebending to warm her hands so that she could, in turn, warm her daughter. Katara got to her feet and added more wood to the fire in the hearth, and then she and Senna went to get more hot drinks for everyone. Bolin knelt down beside Korra, reaching out to stroke Tanza's hair as the girl burrowed into the heat her mother provided. His eyes met hers, full of deep-rooted fear.

"I was so scared for her…if your dad hadn't been there, I might not have…"

"Shh, it's okay, Bo," Korra whispered, resting her forehead against his. "She's safe. She's going to be fine."

But the incident had clearly shaken her husband more than it had her daughter, because even after Tanza got warm and dry and was once again smiling and laughing, Bolin remained pale and distracted. Neither Katara nor Senna mentioned the news on Korra's pregnancy, and Korra herself chose not to volunteer the information just then. As the hour grew late, and the storm grew worse, Katara offered to let them stay with her for the night, which they all agreed to without much fuss. She made up a single pallet for Korra, Bolin, and Tanza to sleep on together, in the spare room at the back of the house. It was only when they were all in bed, and Tanza had drifted off to sleep between them, that Bolin's hand found hers in the dark.

"I know she's okay," he whispered, "but I don't know if I'm going to sleep very well tonight."

Korra nodded. "I can't blame you, Bo…as long as you're not blaming yourself."

"I'm trying not to," he admitted, brows knitting together. "It was hard to see, and I thought I had a good grip on her hand…but she slipped right out from under me…" He shuddered, and Korra could see the fresh memory replaying itself behind his green eyes. "I just feel like if I'd been carrying her…if I'd held her tighter…"

"Bolin, if you had been carrying her, you might have both gone under," she said gently, reaching out to brush his curl off his forehead. "And that wouldn't have been any better. It was just unexpected…and look, she's fine." The Avatar nodded at the little girl nestled between them. "Sleeping like a rock. She'll probably want to go right back out there tomorrow."

He let out a forced sort of laugh. "I rather hope she doesn't."

"She is pretty fearless, you know."

"All too well." His eyes found hers. "She gets that from you."

Korra smiled, and let him pull her hand to his lips. "Hmm, I wonder if these two will inherit that trait, too."

Bolin hummed a bit, his hand traveling to her belly. "I don't know. I might prefer them to be a bit more cautious, like – " He cut himself off suddenly, and Korra could see him slowly processing what she had just said to him. His mouth worked furiously for a few moments, and then he managed to spit out, "Wait…two? Did you say two? As in, more than one? Not one, but _two? _There are _two babies –"_

"Yes, Bolin," Korra laughed, trying to keep quiet. The expression on his face was so comical that she couldn't hold back the sound. After a moment, though, her laughter died down, and she became more serious. "I don't think it's entirely set in yet. I'm waiting for the freakout, but it hasn't happened."

"So…that's for sure, then?" he asked, and she knew he was suddenly wishing their daughter wasn't in bed with them. "You're definitely having – twins?"

"I guess so." Korra looked up at the ceiling. "I didn't plan for this…"

"Are you…not happy?" he asked carefully, playing with a bit of her hair that fanned out over the pillow.

"Actually…I think I am." She looked over at him, a slow smile starting to spread across her face. "I think I'm really, insanely happy, and that's why I haven't started freaking out yet."

Bolin stared at her in silence for a moment. "Are you sure? Because when we found out you were pregnant with Tanza, I would have described your reaction as anything but insanely happy. I know you don't really like surprises, Korra."

"Yeah, but that was before I knew what it felt like to be a mother," she said. "And, more importantly…before I knew what it was like to raise a family with you." His eyes softened at that, and she could tell she was probably going to make him start crying. "Bolin, I'm sure you know by now that I'm terrified of stepping out of my own comfort zone…and having a baby was a _huge _step out of it for me. But you know that this time we actually planned for a baby…and yeah, maybe we didn't plan for _two, _but I still agreed to have another child with you because I _wanted _to. You're a good father…a good husband and a good father, and what happened today with Tanza was a perfect example of that."

"But if your dad wasn't there, I would have been useless," Bolin said, his eyes wet. Korra reached out and wiped the gathering tears away.

"You would have done anything to save our daughter, even if you'd had to jump in yourself," she said softly. "And I have no doubt that you _would_ have been able to save her, even without my dad. You're strong, Bo."

He sniffed a little, cupping her cheek. "You're strong, too."

"The strongest," she replied with a grin, which coaxed an answering smile to his face. "So I think we're strong enough to handle two more kids, right?"

"Yeah…" he said, moving his legs to tangle with hers beneath the thick blanket. "Maybe we are."

A peaceful silence fell over the room.

"_Twins_, though," came Bolin's voice after a moment. "I guess Bolin really _does _have some moves, huh?"

"Shut up," Korra mumbled through a smile, giving him a little kick.


End file.
